Total pages in book: 76
Estimated words: 72617 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 363(@200wpm)___ 290(@250wpm)___ 242(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 72617 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 363(@200wpm)___ 290(@250wpm)___ 242(@300wpm)
“Yeah, Prez. I’m here.”
“You okay?”
“Yeah, I’m good. I think I lost him.”
Cotton sighed with relief, then said, “Good... Now, get your ass home.”
“I’m headed that way. I should be there within the hour.”
Or so I thought.
Sadly, my encounter with the lone shooter wasn’t over—far from it.
CHAPTER 8
Mia
Not being at the office for days on end had cost me. Even though I’d tried to stay on top of things, I was extremely behind and had to work late. I wanted desperately to just go straight home, but I’d promised Hadley that I would come by and take a few pictures of her daughter Willa. She was about to turn two, and she wanted to get a few pictures made for the birthday invitations.
I’d agreed to take them weeks ago—long before I spent the night with her brother. Even though I felt a little awkward about it, I couldn’t break my promise. When I got to her place, I grabbed my camera bag from the backseat and headed up to the front porch. I was just about to knock when the door flew open, and Hadley appeared with a grimace on her face. “I was just about to call you.”
“Oh? Is something wrong?”
“We’re going to have to reschedule the pictures. Willa is teething, and she’s in a terrible mood. There’s no way she’ll ever settle down enough to let you get any good pictures.”
“Are you sure?” I pushed. “I don’t mind trying.”
“I just hate to put you out.”
I loved Willa. She could be a handful, but she was an absolute doll. Besides, I’d dealt with fussy kids before, and while it had been tough, I’d always managed to get a few good shots. With that in mind, I gave her a smile and said, “You aren’t putting me out at all. I want to be here. I want to try and get some great pics for you.”
“Okay. You’re very sweet, but don’t say I didn’t warn ya.”
“Consider me warned.” I followed her through the front door, and as soon as I stepped inside, I heard Willa fuss, “I want my binky.”
“You haven’t had your binky in months, Willa.”
“I want it!”
“Well, I’m sorry, sweetie. You can’t have it.” Hadley knelt in front of her as she explained. “It’s gone.”
“I want it.”
She stomped her foot with a huff, but Hadley remained calm and collected. “Mia came to see you... I was thinking we could take her outside and show her your new playset. What do you think?”
Willa glanced up at me, then looked back to her mother and nodded.
“Great!” Hadley told her with a smile. She scooped Willa up into her arms, and I followed as she carried her outside. She put her in the swing and gave her a little push. Willa lowered her head and stuck out her bottom lip, trying to put on that she was the most miserable child on the planet.
Hadley shook her head and let out a frustrated breath, then gave Willa another push. While she was preoccupied, I took out my camera and took a few quick shots. I looked them over and made some adjustments to the lens, then turned the camera to Willa. The second she noticed that I was about to take her picture, her little face scrunched up in a permanent pout.
There was something about that look that reminded me of her uncle. It seemed his stubborn streak had gone down the family line and had taken root in his sweet, precious niece. It was clear that she wasn’t in the mood for a silly photo shoot.
Nevertheless, I was determined to capture the perfect shot for her mother.
I lowered my camera and gave Willa a reassuring smile as I asked, "Why don’t we give your momma a little break, and you and I can have a little fun? Whatcha think?”
She nodded, and after a little coaxing, Hadley finally agreed. “Okay. I’ll go grab us some lemonade.”
“Oh, that sounds great.”
“I ‘ant my sippy cup.”
“Okay, you got it, sweet girl.”
Once Hadley had gone inside, I stepped over to Willa and asked, “So, where do you think we should take our first picture?”
She stared back at me with wide, skeptical eyes, her tiny hands grasping the ropes of her swing. I crouched down to her level, trying to make myself less intimidating. "I forgot... I have something special for you."
I pulled out a small, plush piglet from my bag and held it in front of her. "See? It squeaks!”
She looked intrigued, so I offered it to her.
As luck would have it, she refused to take it, and her pout deepened. She let out a soft whine, making it clear that she was completely unimpressed by my efforts. I knew this wasn't going to be an easy task, but I was determined to coax her into a better mood.